His Weakness
by momiji-k
Summary: What is Roy Mustang's weakness? In the custody of the enemy, Roy faces a painful reality. A What if story around chapter 50. [SPOILERS][Slight AU][Complete] Roy x Riza
1. His Weakness

**Disclaimer:** I shouldn't have to tell you I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or it's characters.

**Author's Note:** There are SPOILERS here and there for the manga! Be warned.

I have been working on many Roy/Riza fics lately and like all the others this one just started developing in my head so I had to do something with it.

This takes place during the events of chapters 52 & 53 of the manga, with flashbacks from previous chapters. I have used very little actual dialogue and have summed things up in my own words as best I could. If you read this please take the time to give me a review. Although I do write stories for my own enjoyment, I would like to know if others find them enjoyable as well.

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His Weakness

You should never let your enemy see your weaknesses. Roy Mustang has always known this. Therefore he always made sure that he had no weaknesses. Not ones that could be used against him that is.

Sure, there was the fact that he couldn't use his flame alchemy when his gloves were wet. But that didn't mean he was powerless. He could still use an igniter to start his explosive flames. He also knew how to use a gun, although he would admit that his aim was nothing compared to the First Lieutenant's.

No, he never considered this a weaknesses because it was something he could overcome. He had before and when he was determined nothing could stop him. Or so he thought.

But despite all these efforts and all his self-torment, he did have a weakness. One that the homunculus, Wrath had noticed very easily. He was exceedingly kind. Although Wrath had to admit that was a strength as well. So that alone could not be used against him. But there was one more. One more that would prove to be his downfall.

He hid himself in a false image. Pretending to be something that he was not. Not wanting to get to close to anyone, he pretended. Pretended that he was a playboy. A different girl every time he was seen. Many dates but never anything more. The whispers at work, everyone talking about how shameless it was to act that way.

But that was all it was, just an act. Each date could never end fast enough for him. Many times it was with a girl that hoped she would be the next one to go home with the handsome Colonel. None of them ever did.

This misconception was a great cover though. If everyone thought he was a womanizer than no woman could be used against him. It should seem that a man that held so little respect for a woman wouldn't care about her. After all, how could you treat a woman like that if you cared for her? At least, that was what he though.

But, despite all the effort there was that one. His weakness.

It was the one weakness he thought he had hid well. Despite his urges, he never tasted her sweet lips. He never touched her creamy white skin, save for taking paperwork out of her surprisingly soft hands. She was always by his side, but he thought there was no way anyone would think she was more than just a subordinate.

That was a good assumption. Most perceived her as cold and militaristic. They didn't see her as being very feminine. Even after she grew her hair out. She always wore it up, making her look almost boyish in a way. Not the kind of girl that a playboy would ever fall for.

Her job was to assist him, protect him, follow him. They never displayed any kind of affection that anyone could see. Just a loyal soldier following the leadership of her commanding officer. That was all Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye was to him in the eyes of the public.

As the years went by she became something more to him. Feelings he kept locked away in his heart, not wanting anyone to know. Not because of his image or because he was embarrassed. It had to be done. Not just for the sake of his work and his goal, but also for her own sake.

He didn't know where it all began. It had been so long now. It crept up on him like a concealed enemy. He began to feel protective of her, worrying when she had a dangerous assignment to fulfill. He felt jealous of others who got near her in ways he found threatening, to him that is.

Like the time she had apprehended the transmuted Barry the Chopper. She was waiting for him at the phone booth, trying to keep Barry under control. When he showed up Barry peered around her from behind, his hand on her hip. "Hey Missy, who's this punk?" This made him very angry and he seriously wanted to roast the poor bastard.

Then there was her sniper mission to protect the hideout they were keeping Barry in. Positioned in the tower, she was poised and ready. Her rifle was ready to combat any foe. Roy called her up to see how the mission was going, pretending she was one of his girlfriends. God how he wished that conversation had not been so fabricated. If anyone would ever be called his girlfriend he could only think of her.

Before long a "guest" was bothering the other girls they were talking about. Or rather their comrades that were also involved in this mission. She said she would call back, but before she disconnected the headset fell to the ground. He could hear sounds of a scuffle and she no longer answered him. After calling to her several times he feared the worst.

He didn't know what he would have done had he not made it in time. Gluttony was a seemingly unbeatable adversary, one that just couldn't be handled by the guns the Lieutenant and Sergeant Feury had wielded.

She scolded him for recklessly coming out into the field like that. They could have handled it themselves. She called him an idiot for his actions. He told her she was right, he was an idiot. He just laughed it off. He could live with being an idiot. He couldn't _live_ without her.

The battle that followed was even more perilous. They followed the enemy into the 3rd Lab. Lust seemed even more deadly than Gluttony. She had come very close to killing Lieutenant Havoc and Roy himself. He was forever indebted to Alphonse Elric for his actions that day. For if it weren't for him Lieutenant Hawkeye would have been their only casualty.

"You Fool!" Those were the words he screamed at her when he had found out she had lost her will to fight. She slightly winced as if he had slapped her. If he had ever denied that her devotion was more than just her loyalty to duty, he couldn't any longer. Lust had left both the Colonel and Havoc for dead. They would bleed to death as she moved on to the other "rats" that had entered the lab. When Lieutenant Hawkeye learned her beloved Colonel was "dead "she displayed pure outrage. Emptying her entire clip into Lust's vitals. Upon the realization that this effort was futile, everything became so. She no longer cared if she lived. She could do nothing but sit there, silent tears streaming down her face.

He was angry at her. He belittled her and scolded her like she was a child. A switch, considering she was usually the one scolding him. This was the only way he knew how to handle it. He couldn't say or do the things that were in his heart. He could only play the role of the angry superior. His heart wrenched as he saw the pain and disappointment in herself that reflected in her eyes. She hated herself for failing and for being weak. There was nothing he could do for her. That day he cursed himself and his position.

With all that had happened his feelings were still concealed. He showed no more concern for her than he did Lieutenant Havoc that day. So how? How did they know? Was it just an assumption because she was a woman there had to be something more?

Although he was good at playing a role and hiding his feelings, the look now on his face was sheer horror. Horror at the fact that somehow, despite all his efforts, they knew. The Fuhrer, King Bradley, Wrath, had him captive in his office. Roy wanted to know why they kept him alive. "I want you to understand the position you are in". King Bradley seemed sickeningly satisfied with this notion.

The look of horror came after he was told that all his followers had been reassigned, all to different areas. This was very bad. But he showed no sign of emotion, _yet_. That was until he heard the Fuhrer's next words.

"Your loyal First Lieutenant has been given a reassignment as well. She is to be my new personal assistant. We have you where we want you, Colonel Mustang. I would hate to think that something bad would happen to Miss Hawkeye should you become careless." The Fuhrer's words cut through him more than any sword could.

At that King Bradley turned and left his office to let Roy absorb the severity of his situation. The stubborn Colonel would be putty in their hands with his Lieutenant's safety on the line. Everything was going according to plan.

Silently time passed.

The door opened and the cruel and calculating leader of the army re-entered the room. Roy still sat in the hard wooden chair by the Fuhrer's desk, elbows resting on his knees, head hung down in defeat.

The Fuhrer started to talk about how he became what his is now. He _had _been human once. Injected with the raw Philosophers Stone into his blood he became something more.

Roy now confronted him. "If you were once human, why can't you go back to being human?" That was the question he now posed. The answer was something he didn't want to hear.

King Bradley was now a homunculus, not just a mere human. He had pride as a homunculus, like the others of his kind. He would continue on with the goal that was ahead of him. Just the same as anyone else, human or otherwise.

"I still don't understand why you have gone to the trouble of keeping me alive." Roy's voice had a little bit of an edge to it. "What do you want from me? You must want something or you would have silenced me like you did Hughes."

"Ah, perceptive as always." King Bradley spoke with a sense of satisfaction. "We need a powerful alchemist to open the gate for us. You are going to do it."

Roy didn't know what they would gain from the gate, but he knew it wasn't going to benefit the people of Amestris, or the entire world for that matter. The gate would be a dangerous thing in the hands of the homunculus. Opening the gate was something he would not do.

"I am sure I don't know how to go about it. You will have to find someone else I am afraid." His defiant tone was evident.

"Oh, I think you will change your mind." A terrifying smile crept onto the Fuhrer's lips. "Despite your kind nature I am sure that even you would sacrifice the life of one person to save the world." He gave a slight pause, trying to unnerve the Colonel. "But, I seriously doubt you would have the stomach to do so if that person was your dear Lieutenant Hawkeye." The look on his face displayed ultimate triumph.

Roy's breath stopped short in the back of his throat, along with his heart. He realized they had him right where they wanted him. There was nothing, nothing he could do. That was, except to give in to their demands. Unless..

"I won't open the gate. Like you said for yourself, people can't be used against me. She is just my subordinate." Roy tried his bluff, and prayed it didn't backfire.

"Lies don't become you Colonel. Someone of your caliber should be an honest man." The Fuhrer adopted a serious look as he spoke. "I would suggest you cooperate, or I can assure you her fate will be much worse than just death."

The Colonel let out a breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding. "How did you know?"

"Are you finally willing to cooperate, Colonel Mustang?" The Fuhrer knew the Colonel's only choice was to give in.

Roy gave a solemn nod, he didn't have any choices left.

"It was during the incident at the 3rd Lab." The Fuhrer's voice just about startled Roy. "I had come to take care of the situation and was observing from the background. It became apparent at that time that you cared for all of your subordinates. But one stood out more than the others. Although you both tried to hide it, you cannot deny it. I noticed this feeling seemed to be mutual. The amount of emotion displayed by Lieutenant Hawkeye at your supposed death was more than just concern for her superior. You might have fooled everyone around you, but nothing can escape my Ultimate Eye."

A dark shadow was now cast on Roy, his loyal comrades and loved ones, as well as the rest of the world. Surely if he did not open the gate they had a backup plan. He should refuse just the same, but he couldn't sacrifice her. Not her. Not his beloved Riza.

All he could do now is pray for a miracle.

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**Author's Notes:** This story was written before chapter 56 was released and should be considered a "what if' story. Since the actual events in the manga are past this point I am hoping this is just a really good AU fic done in cannon. Again, please let me know what you think. I know people are reading this, I can track the stats... WHY doesn't anyone ever give me reviews! I get a few, but when one of my stories gets over 1,200 views and only 17 reviews I think my writing must suck...


	2. To Be His Weakness

**Author's Notes: **Ok, for those of you who wanted a little more from this story I now present Riza's take on things. This one is a lot shorter since I didn't want to duplicate scenes too much. This chapter wasn't really necessary, but some people had asked for more. This is the last chapter I plan on writing. I want to leave this one open ended.

**To Become His Weakness**

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Riza stood in front of Central Headquarters with a look of disbelief. She had just been informed that all of her fellow soldiers under the Colonel's command were being shipped off to other places. To compound the matter further the Fuhrer's personal assistant just handed her a reassignment of her own. As of tomorrow she would be assigned to Central, as the Fuhrer's new personal assistant.

This did no sit well with her. This did not sit well at all. It was obvious now that the Colonel was very close to the military's guarded secrets. Their earlier fears of the military's dark side were most likely even worse than they had thought.

The problem at hand was one beyond anything she had ever comprehended. How could she look after the man she was sworn to protect if she was no longer by his side? They had been together for so long… and now? What now? Her mind drifted to all that had happened to them throughout the years. Like a recording on fast forward, her mind raced.

She remembered that day in the rain when they had finally tracked down Scar. He had Edward Elric just where he wanted him. Surely the outcome would not have been good had they not arrived when they had. The Colonel was ready to jump right in and save Fullmetal's ass. Too bad he didn't even have the means to save his own. Good thing she was good with her feet and always carried plenty of guns.

She recalled coded phone conversations that made her feel like the Colonel's newest girlfriend. How she wished those phone calls were as good as they sounded. She at least took pleasure in knowing that the other girls didn't exist either.

Just yesterday she had helped him to the car, his recent wounds had re-opened in the latest fight with Gluttony. He could barely walk as he leaned into her for support.

She had always been there beside him. Always.

In the flash of a moment she went from protector to pawn. She was now the Fuhrer's pawn. That had to be it. Somehow, she couldn't figure how, but they knew. As much as she cursed herself, she knew it was true. She, who gave him strength and protected him. She, who watched his back and pushed him up, had become his weakness.

She wasn't sure when or how it had happened, but it had. He depended on her in every way. Even if it weren't for the unspoken feelings they had for each other, she was still the most important person to him. The one he always counted on to get things done. His right hand man, even though she was a woman.

Neither one of them had ever said how they felt. Not with any words that is. Their looks and actions were all they needed. She knew he loved her, of that she had no doubts. Any doubts she may have had washed away like water from a rain storm on that day. That day when she thought she was going to die. Twice. And twice he had saved her, against all odds. And then he had scolded her for giving up her life because she thought he was dead.

That day a lot had happened. She was angry with him for risking his life so carelessly just to save his subordinates. She was devastated by Lust's words, she had said the Colonel was dead. She lost all will to live at just the thought. He then reappeared to defeat Lust only to collapse right after from fatigue and blood loss. All he had worried about was her. And then asked for an ambulance for Havoc.

She knew he loved her, even though he never said it. She loved him too. She knew that he knew that as well. After all this time together how could she not love him? He was everything to her. What began as a simple promise turned into a lifetime of devotion.

Every day she walked the path she had chosen, never regretting it. Every day she faced the unknown unafraid of what may happen. So long as they were together she didn't have any fears.

But now, she was afraid. She was very afraid of what would become of him. What would become of them? What was she going to do? What _could _she do?

She didn't know any of the answers. What she did know was that she was alone and scared. And she had become the one thing she fought hardest to prevent.

She had become his weakness.


End file.
